A US woman who shot and killed her husband and two adult children before taking her own life is thought to have committed the shocking crime as a result of being ostracised from the religion she was raised in.

A federal judge sentenced a former Arkansas judge Wednesday to five years in prison — a stiffer punishment than prosecutors recommended — after he admitted giving young male defendants lighter sentences in return for personal benefits that included sexual favours.

Every time I tell a mate I’m doing a story on cryptocurrency, they invariably ask me the same two questions: should they invest their own hard-earned money, and which cryptocurrency will get them a Lamborghini/yacht/island quickest?

In a 60 Minutes online exclusive, reporter Liz Hayes quizzed Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on his relationship with the unpredictable Twitter aficionado and US president Donald Trump ahead of their meeting at the White House Friday.

Priests should disclose abuse: Abbott

Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says all institutions - including the Catholic church - should have a full-disclosure rule with regard to child sex abuse.

Mr Abbott, a Catholic who once trained to be a priest, made the statement days after Australia's most senior Catholic said if a priest confessed to child sex abuse in the Catholic rite of confession, "the Seal of Confession is inviolable".

Mr Abbott told Channel 9 that as a member of parliament his duty was to the public, not to the church.

"People have got to obey the law," Mr Abbott said.

"As far as I am aware, at least in NSW, there are mandatory reporting requirements for these things.

"I think it would be in the best interest of the churches as well as the best interest of victims, in the best interest of our society more generally, if every institution that's been caught up in this - including the churches - have a full disclosure, no cover-ups rule."